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Post by ꧁꧂ on Feb 21, 2019 3:46:32 GMT -5
The Story So Far? Not sure everyone will agree but I think they're gone from strength to strength with each release Agreeing on this one and also on Title Fight that got mentioned before and for my personal opinion I would throw Twitching Tongues in too.
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Post by v9733xa on Feb 21, 2019 18:31:26 GMT -5
The hardcore punk band Turnstile fucking rule, and not for the reasons many people like hardcore punk bands. They're not the loudest or heaviest or fastest. They can be loud and heavy and fast when they want to be. But increasingly in their career, this band has found the in-roads to develop a unique sound unlike anything the scene. They've made vast improvements from album to album, culminating one one of the best records of 2018 that's still earning rave reviews today.
After a demo recording, Turnstile's first EP was 2011's Pressure to Succeed, emerging out of a bustling Baltimore hardcore scene. These were still young kids just putting something together, six songs they'd played for a while that don't all mesh together, but you can hear what they're about on these early tracks. Aggression without losing melody.
By their second EP, Step 2 Rhythm, what Turnstile is going for starts to be clear. If there's a room for a group that blends 311 and reggaerock influences into hardcore, a new generation of Bad Brains perhaps, this is what you get on this EP. But each song is so varied, with atypical structures and riffs leading back to a common theme, even the odd breakdown from time to time.
Turnstile's first full-length album Nonstop Feeling is where the band absolutely puts it all together for the first time. You can hear that on this track "Can't Deny It," with the big dumb riffs of 311 and the rocking lyrics of Nick Nexum clearly influencing the young group. And yet, they can still kill a breakdown. As opposed to the bands i've posted so far, Turnstile has almost entirely stayed the same members the existence of the band, and it's clear when they mold a sound this crisp.
Turnstile released a quick EP in 2016, Move Thru Me, that was still absolutely great and with 4 perfect songs that's arguably better than their first full-length. No filler, no room for breath, just four blistering songs (including one incredible cover of Give's "Fuck Me Blind") that let fans know they weren't going to go long without releasing something impactful. Just because they were getting tons of press, magazine covers, and big tour dates didn't mean the band would lose their edge.
This all led up to what some have called one of the best albums of the year in 2018, Time & Space, with song after song varying to huge degrees but each filled with signature hooks and riffs. It's a magical and amazing record that is light years better than almost anything any hardcore punk band is putting out, with maturity and nuance that few groups can match. I just can't wait to see where else it takes them.
Those two tracks close the album, and i couldn't resist posting them. Listen to this band, people!!
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Post by v9733xa on Feb 22, 2019 18:54:51 GMT -5
Endwell is one of my favorite hardcore bands of the 2000s and early 2010s, but not because they were one of the first ones i got into and hooked me from the beginning. I started with their later work, and only by listening to their first records then their ultimate masterpiece that they completed before breaking up did i really appreciate how great this band was. They have a different sound -- sometimes vastly different sounds -- on every record. As much as i would have loved more music, maybe it's arguable they peaked at the perfect moment since you can't end much better than they did.
Their 2005 demo EP The Missing Pieces is mostly just a run-of-the-mill melodic hardcore band, but you can hear the talent through the rough production and very young musicians. I like these songs, but they're trying too hard to sound like the bands on Victory Records they grew up loving. It's fine, but forgettable. It happens, sometimes, for a demo EP.
Oh what a little record company production can do! Firmly a record of and for their time, 2006's Homeland Insecurity is one of the best melodic hardcore/easycore albums of that year, and if you like this style of music it's about as good as it gets. The harmonies are there, the breakdowns are there, the catchy riffs are there, the screaming vocalist and singing drummer (Atreyu much?) are there. Hey, when it works it works! I don't care what you say, this record's really good, and the young band was still figuring out what they wanted to be.
However, years brought change, drastic change in lineups and sound, and thenceforth you really had an entirely different band. Though it's not uncommon for a young group to have disagreements and have that lead to departures, Endwell in turn totally became a new group, and released an EP in 2008 to prove it, Revenge is a Healthy Motive, on a new label Mediaskare as well. Gone were the pop punk influences -- or at least the melodic ones -- and now you have driving guitars, gang vocals, faster beats, and punishing breakdowns. This is not your sister's favorite band anymore, so now they're loud and angry enough for you to like them! Coincidentally, so did i. It's tonal shift and a great one, pulling them apart from a crowded pack. Damn i love the breakdown at the end of this song.
Touring and fine-tuning their new sound lead to recording a second full-length record, 2009's Consequences, where the band just leaps out of the speakers with a style all their own. It's not enough to call it metallic hardcore, but they begin to find all the genres they want to take little portions of and blend them into a unique sound. While they did re-record a few tracks from the prior EP, of the 14 songs here 11 are new and they are ALL amazing. It's just light years ahead of where they were a few years ago, and while this is not going to fly off the shelves at Hot Topic like their first albums, it's crushing and incredible. Shorter more brutal songs, but with the same emotional intensity as their first tracks, they're finally coming together realizing their potential
It leads to Endwell's magnum opus, 2011's Punishment, one of my favorite records of that year and of the early part of this decade, it is endlessly replayable and i jam hard to this so often even today. The band's lyrics are serious and on point, maturing as the members did themselves. Featuring some fun guest spots from other vocalists who understood the talent and range of the band, the album flies from one song to another of totally different sounds, speeds, and volumes, with the best production yet and somehow still capturing the raw energy of their live shows. All the lineup changes culminates in this one perfect moment at the band at their absolute peak. Sadly (or perhaps fittingly), they broke up within the next year.
How fucking rad is that song! JJ Peters killing it with the guest vocals. Ah, man, i miss this band.
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Post by v9733xa on Mar 10, 2019 12:33:24 GMT -5
Mastodon. ‘Nuff said, and that is all. This comment piqued my interest so i've been listening to Mastodon all week. I can definitely say that this is absolutely not true; they're just a good hard rock band now, a shell of their former talented metal selves. One of thousands of bands who sold out for Grammys and are worse for it.
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Post by stfubaker on Mar 10, 2019 13:58:55 GMT -5
ETID. No explanation needed
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Post by tao on Mar 10, 2019 15:22:28 GMT -5
Mastodon. ‘Nuff said, and that is all. This comment piqued my interest so i've been listening to Mastodon all week. I can definitely say that this is absolutely not true; they're just a good hard rock band now, a shell of their former talented metal selves. One of thousands of bands who sold out for Grammys and are worse for it. With all due respect, I disagree. Their sound may have changed the more popular they’ve become, but the same level of quality and talent they’ve had from their first release has always been matched and/or topped with each subsequent release.
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Post by v9733xa on Mar 10, 2019 16:59:56 GMT -5
ETID. No explanation needed This is an intriguing opinion and may be correct. It's certainly true that they rocketed upwards in quality the first 6 or 8 years for sure, but i'd need to give the most recent albums another listen to know. But i might end up agreeing.
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Post by v9733xa on Apr 1, 2019 18:23:47 GMT -5
Lords were a blistering hardcore punk band from the mid to late aughts, and blew me away especially with their magnum opus in 2008. Unfortunately, that was all the band ever did, an EP and two full-length albums. But even though they'e been gone for about 10 years, i still rock these records today and wish i could have seen more Their first (and only) EP, 2004's The House That Lords Built, busts out of the box with fast riffs, loud reverb and speaker squeaks, and wild short songs that go nonstop for the entire duration. This song, one of my favorites, at 1:49 is one of the longest tracks on the album. Seven out of the ten tracks don't reach a minute and a half. Now, the record is also very raw, and kinda seems like a young band just throwing whatever sticks to the wall at times. But it's still great, and showed so much potential. Indeed, they were just getting started. On their first full length from 2005, Swords, it was more of the same but far more focused and crisp. This first song sets the pace immediately out the gate. They seem to have found their niche, with all the songs tracking pretty much between 1 and 2 minutes for thirteen songs. There's nary a breather to be had, and you can even hear a little of the trash influences on a few of the songs here. They were coming into their own and this is when i discovered this loud and crazy band, almost 15 years ago. The band leaned hard into their hardcore punk bag of tricks in what would be their final record, 2008's Fuck All Y'all Motherfuckers, in something of a blend of Black Flag and Black Sabbath but heavier and angrier. I absolutely love this album and i have listened to it so many times. There is nothing to be skipped on the 16-track record at all, and the band was so tight and so ready to blow up bigtime. Unfortunately, as many bands do, they just couldn't stay together, with a few volatile personalities and differing directions. Nonetheless, this album still ranks as one of my favorite hardcore punk/crossover records i have, and i crank it up a few times a year.
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